This invention relates to a system and apparatus for detection and monitoring of a utility meter tampering, commonly associated with service theft.
Within the last decade, the incidents of utility service theft has increased substantially as noted in a recent report by Dr. K. Seger a leading U.S. industry expert in theft management for utilities.
This report stated that as utility rates have increased so has the number of utility customers who are stealing power. As the incidents of power theft increases so does the need for utilities to attack this problem aggressively and in a professional manner. An unmanaged power theft problem can have a disastrous effect on the economic well being of the utility. In some countries, utilities are loosing as much as 30% of all the power generated to non-technical line loss or more correctly power theft. Most of these countries are now taking a major effort to reduce these losses and recover lost revenues.
Fortunately in North America this problem has not been experienced at such alarming proportions. The current estimate in the U.S.A. is that approximately 3% of the power generated is stolen and that 1% of all utility customers are involved in power theft. An economist writing in Public Utilities Fortnightly (Nov. 22, 1979 pp. 23-27) estimated at 1.7 billion dollars in electricity and 1.3 billion dollars in natural gases lost to utility thieves in U.S.A.
Many attempts have therefore been made to detect tampering of the metering equipment by any unauthorized user. These detection systems can be as simple as extended observation of the equipment concerned. In other cases tampering detection devices have been proposed as part of a highly complex remote meter reading system.
Remote meter reading has other problems which have limited its acceptance. This has therefore left the problem of tampering detection with little solution.
One proposal for this problem is to provide an entirely separate metering device which is positioned on the wires leading to the facility at a position upstream of the conventional meter. This device does however require the presence of a utility repairman with all the attendant notice that this will give the user an additional device is being attached. Additional devices of course are readily apparent and therefore relatively available for tampering or removal.
Further details of the devices are difficult to obtain since the manufacturers wish to keep the techniques used confidential to avoid alerting potential thieves to techniques which can be used to by-pass the system. However the following companies are believed to have systems as follows:
Data Beam Inc. provides a device which indicates that it has a capability of detecting motion or tilting of the meter and tampering with the meter reading electronics. PA1 American Science and Engineering provide a device which is stated to detect and report reverse rotation of a meter. PA1 En Scan provides a device in a remote meter reading system which claims a capability of detecting and reporting meter motion and tampering with meter reading electronics. PA1 Micro Port International provides a device which claims to have a magnetic reed switch for sensing removal of a glass cover of a conventional electric meter.
In many of these cases the tampering detecting device merely provides a alarm which indicates that tampering has taken place. While an indication of suspected tampering is highly desirable, it is by no means the complete answer since it gives no indication of the amount of the consumption loss and in many cases it requires a serviceman to visit the meter to effect repairs. Far from saving costs, this can exacerbate the situation by increasing maintenance costs.